The present invention relates to an exercise device. Specifically, it relates to an exercise device comprising a stair descending apparatus having a pneumatically dampened arm extending between a pair of handrails.
Many people use exercise machines, including stair-climbers that allow a user to climb stairs at varying speeds to exercise. However, in order to exercise alternate muscle groups, a user may desire to descend the stairs instead of climbing them. Utilizing traditional stair-climber machines, a user s required to turn around or walk sideways, which presents several opportunities for injury. The user is liable to fall due to balance issues caused by the unusual or uncomfortable feeling walking backwards down stairs provides. Furthermore, a user may be required to perform specific exercises based on conditions or previous injuries that user has suffered, such as iliotibial band syndrome or those recovering from hip and knee replacement surgery. These users are typically advised to climb and descend stairs to exercise and stretch the affected areas, however supervision is typically required to use traditional stairs for exercise as a user with these conditions is in a precarious state that could easily be worsened due to a fall or other complication. Additionally, traditional stairs have limited safety features, leading to even more risk of fall. Therefore, an exercise that allows a user to safely descend stairs is desired.
In light of the devices disclosed in the known art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing exercise devices. In this regard, the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.